AXA Health International appoints Melissa Castro as head medical advisor

AXA Health International has appointed Dr Melissa Castro as head medical advisor.

Castro (pictured) joins from Allianz Partners, where she spent almost nine years in roles spanning clinical practice, medical assistance, health insurance and operational leadership.

In her new role, she will provide senior clinical leadership across AXA Health International and help shape the development of its international healthcare products and services. Her responsibilities will include advising on complex medical cases, strengthening clinical governance and working with healthcare partners on new services.

Originally from Mexico and now based in the UK, Castro has lived and worked in a number of countries and brings experience of different healthcare systems and the needs of internationally mobile customers.

The appointment comes as AXA Health International, part of AXA Health Business, looks to expand its international health proposition and strengthen its position in the global health and employee benefits market.

Castro said: ‘As healthcare continues to evolve, there is a real opportunity to combine strong clinical leadership with innovation to deliver even better outcomes for customers around the world.

‘I look forward to working with colleagues across the business and our healthcare partners to continue developing a proposition that is clinically robust, customer focused and ready to meet the changing needs of internationally mobile customers.’

Sebastian Judez, global head of proposition and medical at AXA Health International, said Castro’s combination of clinical, operational and international experience would strengthen the company’s clinical capabilities.

‘Her leadership will help us continue providing customers with access to premium international healthcare and support our ambition to become the leading global health and employee benefits specialist,’ he said.